Kuzara: Uncivil discourse: Cause of brain freeze?

In his book “A Small Difference,” Raymond Plank, founder of the Apache Corporation, mentions a case of unintended consequences.

Mr. Plank was a trustee and involved with the Minnesota Endowment Fund at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota. He relates from his ring side seat observing Idealistic student protests of all American companies doing business in South Africa. As if the Americans, according to the students, were somehow making life miserable for the poor blacks in South Africa.

Mr. Plank writes: “I was correct in the assumption that the first phase protest would be followed by demands that American companies move out of South African Countries. It remains my view that deliberate job destruction would counteract improving living standards, particularity when American manufacturers abroad hold higher standards and ethics than those in the impoverished countries. My volunteering to join the two college presidents in making the pitch to those idealistic, sociological illiterates was declined, both presidents noting it was their responsibility, as indeed it was.”

Ever the gentleman, Raymond graciously called the student protestors “Idealistic, sociological illiterates,” when in fact these particular protestors and their ilk, i.e. Occupy Wall Street, etc. are merely useful idiots.

If you haven’t been paying attention to world news then you’re probably not aware of the trouble in South Africa now as leftist ideology is replacing pragmatic capitalism that at least brings modern technology and amenities like decent housing, malaria control, clean water, hospitals and adequate food to basically Stone Age people.

The so-called “immigrant caravan” headed toward the US southern border has a goodly compliment of “refugees” from Guatemala.

Guatemala, until the 1890s was another sleepy backwater wasteland of malarial swamps and jungle until the United Fruit Company, having developed refrigerated shipping, began to develop growing tropical fruit, bananas in particular, which transformed the country almost overnight.

People used to starving, and dying of tropical disease now had housing, health care, transportation, disease control and education, things their own “government” could and would not provide thanks to the Americans.

Revolution brought on by progressives (Communists) finally managed to nationalize everything. The revolutionaries knew how to fight, kill, destroy and disrupt but couldn’t keep the lights on or the water clean.

Venezuela is the latest example of the Socialist dream of how things SHOULD be but are too short sighted to accept the reality and consequences of their actions.

I see the parallels here to what in this country is called “real resistance”. Leftist zealots, instead of expending their energy on ways to improve the things they feel are lacking, are focused on destroying the present system and the President to replace it with what? Venezuela? Guatemala? The old Soviet Union? Cuba? South Africa?

Armed with just enough knowledge to be dangerous but too “socialistically illiterate” to understand the ramifications of “the dream,” the far left and the Democrat sycophants who endorse those concepts could lead the U.S. into becoming a Third World failure.

I hear the word compromise thrown about. To Republicans it means trying to reach a workable solution to common problems. To radical Democrats it means surrender of the “enemy” with no quarter given.

There lies the cause uncivil discourse we see today. “Retaliatory anger,” according to Gerry Spence, “closes the ears and shuts off the brain.”

I can see that happening on both the right and the left today and it never comes even close to winning the argument much less any sort of compromise.

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Mike Kuzara currently live with his wife Mary out on the high flats halfway between Sheridan and Big Horn where the only thing breaking the wind is antelope legs. Email is m-mkuzara@actaccess.net

About the series

Writers from Wyoming is a selection of state residents who have been selected as occasional columnists for the Star-Tribune. Their voices add depth and widen our understanding of what it means to live in Wyoming.

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